Oxford Art Factory, NSW
26th February 2009

Tame Impala are surfing the wave of hype at the moment and their sold out Sydney show was a chance to check out what all the fuss was about. Did they live up to the press plaudits, do they have the songs and the performance to justify their recent signing to Modular?

First up were local shoegazers The Laurels who are starting to generate some interest in these parts. They take their sound from bands like Ride and Swervedriver, burying the vocals in the swirling mix of guitars and creating that drifting sonic surge that characterizes the genre. They keep a tight rein on their songs, not letting them outstay their welcome or disappear into psychedelic oblivion. Their clearer moments had touches of 78 Saab and at their haziest the ghost of Brian Jonestown Massacre was present. Word is that an album and 7” are on the way and  that will no doubt boost the profile of this exciting young band.

Brisbane’s DZ have achieved a fair amount of notoriety for their video featuring a bottle of Jagermeister being consumed in real time during the clip. They are yet another 2 piece band but one that has figured out how to fill out their sound to cover all the frequencies. The bass tones in Shane Parson’s guitar supplied ample bottom end in what was an energetic and infectious performance. An annoying strobe featured in most songs which created a nauseous feeling that was no doubt intentional. Songs like ‘Two Lungs’ were crashing riffaramas with the drummer splitting sticks and launching himself around the kit like a human strobe. ‘The Mess’ was a Nirvana like crawl through the gutter that sits them alongside Wolf & Cub and showed they can vary things between the thrash and the groove. A tight band with a lack of pretension is a refreshing thing.

Tame Impala’s success is a curious anomaly in the Australian music scene as their retro stylings lack the grandiose prog rock of Wolfmother or the indie pop of many other popular local bands. Their 60s and 70s sound takes in krautrock, Cream, Santana and even the folkier end of blues rock.

The nature of Tame Impala’s music means that there is no instant gratification. They slowly built up the mood and weight of the songs and it was a well paced set. The voice of Kevin Parker is nothing special but he has settled on a John Lennon melodic lilt that serves as another instrument rather than being the focal point of the music. Parker is the singular force behind Tame Impala but in a live context the key to their success is the way in which the other members all contribute equally to the songs. Drummer Jay Watson had great feel and sat within the songs rather than leading from the front while bassist Dominic Simper effortlessly dipped and glided around the stage, never missing a note with his flowing melodic style.

Skeleton Tiger was a highlight with its poppy overtones and hints of ‘Heard It Through The Grapvine’ while their cover of Blue Boy’s ‘Remember Me’ was a revelation in what on paper would be a terrible idea. They took it to a Stone Roses/Steppenwolf place that was huge and rumbling yet it still retained the dancefloor filling vibe of the original.

Ending the show on ‘Half Full Glass of Wine’ Tame Impala showed their versatility with all musicians swapping instruments and kicking out a mammoth riff that lumbered on and had the crowd bouncing in time with its Kyuss/Masters of Reality stoner groove. It was one of their most uncluttered and simplest moments and it served to remind that less is often more. They lived up to the hype and showed how great playing and strong songs can circumvent trends and forge their own audience in a commercial market. Definitely a glass half full rather than half empty.